Match Made In Paradise

by Barbara Dunlop

  “Nobody’s saying that.”

  But they were. And she wasn’t in the mood to defend herself anymore. She turned pointedly away and latched onto the first thing she spotted, the dish towel. She folded it in half then in half again as she heard the door shut behind her.

  * * *

  * * *

  Mia woke up determined.

  Neither Silas nor anybody else was going to dissuade her from helping Raven. He’d said one brilliant thing yesterday, before he’d blown it all by kissing her into oblivion then walking away. He’d said she should just jump in. Well, this was her jumping.

  She got up early, got dressed and was cooking breakfast before Raven as came down the stairs.

  “Can I borrow some of your old clothes?” she called out, stirring the pan of scrambled eggs. She didn’t normally eat eggs, but she knew they were Raven’s favorite.

  The toaster popped, and she crossed the kitchen to spread the slices with butter.

  “What are you doing?” Raven looked slightly horrified at the sight of all the breakfast fixings scattered across the counter.

  Mia realized then that she’d gotten a little messy, but she would clean it up, no problem. “Making breakfast.”

  “Why?”

  “I know you like a good breakfast before work.”

  “I do.” Raven rinsed the dishcloth and wiped some toast crumbs and a smear of butter from the counter.

  “I can take care of that. This is almost ready.”

  Raven backed out of the way as Mia—feeling very efficient—crossed the kitchen and retrieved two plates.

  “Why did you get up so early?” Raven asked.

  “I have a plan.”

  “Okay.” Raven returned to the sink and filled the kettle with water.

  “I know I need to help out more.”

  “This is nice, and I really appreciate it, but I can make my own breakfast,” Raven reassured her.

  “I’m not on vacation, and you’re so busy.”

  “It’s no different than any other year. Summer is our busiest season.”

  “But you have me here now. At least for a while. Maybe a long while, according to Marnie.”

  Raven’s brow furrowed for a moment. “I see.”

  Mia spooned the scrambled eggs onto the plates. “So, you see that I need to be useful. I was thinking I could start with some of those work pants. Do you have an older pair you aren’t wearing anymore? And you have special shoes for work, right?”

  “You mean steel-toed boots?”

  “Yeah, those. Got an old pair of those hanging around?”

  “Why do you want steel-toed boots?” Raven frowned with concern. “What are you doing?”

  Mia covered the slices of toast with a layer of peanut butter. She started to put the knife down on the counter, but on second thought she put it directly into the sink. She could tell her haphazard cooking style was making Raven jumpy.

  “I thought you didn’t like peanut butter,” Raven said. “Or eggs. What happened to your fruit and yogurt?”

  “You said protein sticks to your ribs when you’re working.”

  “You don’t have to eat what I eat.”

  She added jam to the toast, then held one plate out to Raven. “There.”

  “Looks . . .” Raven hesitated for a beat. “Great.”

  Mia knew she hadn’t done as good a job as Raven would have. But she’d get better. She just needed some more practice.

  “Orange juice or coffee?” she asked.

  “I’ll take both.”

  Mia went for the juice and Raven poured two cups of coffee.

  Then they both settled at the table.

  “I can start slowly,” Mia said. “I don’t have experience, but I learn fast and I’m a hard worker. I want to be on the team.”

  Raven stopped with a slice of toast halfway to her mouth. “What team?”

  “Galina. Extra set of hands.” Mia held hers up to make her point.

  Raven hesitated longer now. “We have a full staff.”

  “You can give me something simple. I can lift boxes and things. It’s not like I have to run power tools or climb up on a roof.” Mia gave a little laugh at her own joke.

  Raven took a bite of the toast and chewed like she was contemplating.

  Mia waited. “Please let me try. All I want is a chance.”

  Raven swallowed. “Uh . . .”

  Mia sat forward and gave an eager smile meant to look like she’d give it her all.

  Raven set down her toast. “Have you ever driven an electric vehicle or a four-wheeler?”

  “A golf-cart at the country club.” Mia had had plenty of practice at that.

  Raven rocked her head back and forth as if she was thinking it through. “We do have a steady stream of grocery orders to assemble.”

  “I have plenty of experience shopping.”

  Raven gave her head a slow shake, even as a smile crossed her lips. “I suppose you have.” She took another bite of her breakfast.

  Mia raised her coffee cup for a sip, hoping that answer was a yes, and Mia dug into her breakfast. “Most people don’t know it, but modeling is really hard work.”

  “Jobs that look like fun are usually really hard,” Raven agreed.

  “Exactly.” Mia was gratified that she’d accepted the point.

  “Brodie tells me that about flying. People think it looks fun and exciting, cruising around in the skies, but pilots make complex calculations on everything from mechanics to weather to weight and balance, never mind always thinking five, ten and fifty miles ahead and having contingency plans for everything.”

  Mia couldn’t help but think of Silas. He seemed to worry a lot about risk. Raven’s description helped explain why.

  “And I know what it’s like to be underestimated,” Raven said, a thoughtful expression shadowing her eyes.

  “I can’t imagine anyone underestimating you,” Mia said, surprised Raven would ever think that.

  Raven gave a laugh.

  “You look so capable and smart,” Mia continued. “It’s something about your eyes. Or maybe your expression, the way you always look so thoughtful but confident, like it doesn’t matter what anybody says, no matter how complex, you look like you understand exactly what they’re getting at and what needs to happen next. And don’t get me started on when you open your mouth. When you open your mouth and say smart things, it’s game over.”

  “I . . . wow.” Raven looked touched.

  “Wow is definitely the way I feel about you.” Mia drank the last of her coffee, rising from her chair. “So, is it time for us to get to work?”

  Chapter Seven

  The steel-toed boots were clunky on Mia’s feet. The workpants she was wearing felt stiff. It was tricky to balance her hard hat, and she kept getting flashes of the bright orange vest in her peripheral vision. It was an interesting concept, clothing for protection instead of decoration. She’d never thought about it that way.

  “This is representative of the fleet,” Kenneth said, pointing to a short line of vehicles angle parked against the outside wall of the warehouse.

  They were around the corner where it was quiet, away from the loading dock traffic. Dust rose under their feet, and a few mosquitoes buzzed around her ears. But the pests weren’t getting through her canvas pants or the nylon vest, so the only things she had to protect were her face and neck by waving them off with her hands.

  “Except for the forklift,” Kenneth said. “You won’t be driving the forklift.”

  “Is it harder to drive?” She was warming to Kenneth. He was thirtyish, tall and lanky, polite and no-nonsense.

  “It’s more dangerous, heavy, tons of torque. And it’s easy to unbalance a load when you’re lifting with it. Nobody gets near the forklift without the thorough train
ing course.”

  “Okay by me,” Mia said. “This looks less intimidating.”

  She checked out the four-wheel ATV and what looked like an oversized golf cart with a long flatbed sticking out the back. The two were parked next to a mini front-end loader with a scoop bucket. The loader looked like it might be fun.

  A pickup truck came to a stop on the gravel behind them and AJ hopped out. “What’s going on?” he asked, striding over.

  “I’m learning to drive,” Mia answered.

  AJ looked perplexed. “You don’t drive?”

  “I have golf cart experience.”

  “Utility vehicle,” Kenneth corrected her.

  “I guess we won’t be golfing,” she joked.

  “Let’s start with that,” Kenneth said, setting his hand on the roof of the vehicle. “Hop in.”

  She stepped gamely into the driver’s seat, stumbling slightly when her clunky work boot hit the running board and landing hard on the black vinyl seat. She straightened herself and settled.

  “Seatbelt,” Kenneth said, demonstrating it. “Start and stop.” He pointed. “Accelerator and brake. Use your signals. Turn on the four ways if you’re stopping somewhere.”

  Mia nodded. It seemed straightforward so far.

  “Remember, you’re longer than usual in this. So you have to take the corners wide. And be particularly careful driving in the center part of the warehouse, because some of the spaces are tight there when the shelves are full.”

  Mia took a bracing breath at the thought of maneuvering between the warehouse shelves. She couldn’t imagine zipping along as fast as she’d seen some of the guys driving.

  “I thought that was you.” Breena’s cheerful voice reached her. “What’s going on here?”

  Mia turned her head and smiled. “I’m learning. Where’d you come from?”

  “I’m on my way into work.”

  “You walk?”

  “Yup.” Breena looked her over. “Wow. You even make safety gear work. You have a gift.”

  “Ready to take it for a spin?” Kenneth asked.

  Mia hadn’t expected the orientation to be that short, but she was game. “You want me to take it inside?”

  “We’ll practice out here. How about around the end of the building to start?” Kenneth said.

  “I’ll come along.” Breena quickly hopped into the passenger seat.

  Kenneth looked hesitant, but then he patted the roof. “Okay. Go up to the east end, around the back, but then turn and come back this way. I don’t want you crossing the loading dock.”

  “Got it,” Mia said as Kenneth stepped back.

  “Girls’ road trip,” Breena called out. Her lightheartedness eased a bit of Mia’s nerves.

  “No messing around,” Kenneth said.

  “No, sir,” Mia said, completely prepared to take this seriously.

  She switched on the vehicle then put it into reverse.

  Her heavy boot slipped as she pressed the accelerator, and the cart leapt backward.

  Kenneth cried out. “Watch out for the—”

  She hit the brakes and stopped them short.

  “Truck,” Kenneth finished.

  “It’s peppy,” Mia said, trying to mask her shock.

  AJ was already dashing back to the pickup truck to move it out of the way.

  “Take it easy,” Kenneth told her.

  “Will do,” Mia said, taking another breath before gingerly touching the accelerator. They inched backward a few feet before she remembered to put it into forward.

  “Relax,” Breena said.

  “I am. I am.”

  “You got this.”

  Mia eased the vehicle forward, and it went much better this time. They puttered across the gravel beside the high concrete wall.

  “Are you doing this for fun?” Breena asked.

  “I’m going to do some work,” Mia said. “Help out. Raven’s so busy.”

  “Wow.” Breena seemed to ponder for a moment. “I bet it’ll be different than your regular job.”

  “A change is as good as a rest,” Mia said.

  “I agree with that. I’m resting right now.”

  “At the Bear and Bar?” Mia had seen how hard Breena worked waitressing.

  “Resting my brain. My program skips the summer term, so I come home and go through a little culture shock. For months, I’m studying coding, straining to learn new concepts. Then suddenly I’m back to serving coffee and burgers—physically draining but not so mentally demanding. It helps me recharge.”

  “So, you like the variety?”

  “It’s good.” Breena went quiet for a minute. “A couple more years and I’ll be permanently out of here. I’ll mostly be glad to go, but I’ll miss a few things.”

  “So, you’re not planning to live in Paradise after school?” Mia kept the utility vehicle moving in a straight line toward the back corner of the warehouse, where the forest bordered the Galina property.

  Breena shook her head. “Not a chance.”

  Mia understood Breena wanting to spread her wings. “Where do you want to live after you graduate?”

  “Not Alaska, please. Down south.” There was a lilt in Breena’s voice as she spoke. “A big city. The bigger the better, maybe New York or Chicago.”

  “You already know someone in LA,” Mia said, giving her a warm smile.

  “I like the idea of all that sunshine. But a software engineer in Silicon Valley is almost a cliché. You grew up there, right?”

  Mia nodded as they rounded the corner to the back of the warehouse. “Born and raised.”

  “Did you ever have an urge to leave?”

  “Alastair and I traveled quite a bit, so I got to see different places without moving.”

  “That appeals to me. Maybe I should try for a job in the travel industry, a cruise ship or a hotel chain with resorts all over the world.”

  “I’d be careful with work travel.” The space around the back of the warehouse was much narrower than the side, so Mia slowed down and steered the vehicle tight to the wall to give herself room for the turn.

  They bumped over a rock, canting slightly sideways, and the mirror barely missed scraping the concrete.

  “Whoops,” Mia said, cringing.

  “Nice miss,” Breena said, looking back behind them.

  Mia cranked the wheel and took a slow turn. She didn’t quite make it all the way around, so she switched to reverse, carefully backing toward the wall to give herself enough space.

  When she finished, she realized her hands were sweating.

  “Nice recovery,” Breena said in a congratulatory tone.

  “This thing is long,” Mia said, glancing in the mirror at the flatbed sticking out the back.

  “So, what’s the problem with work travel?” Breena asked.

  “You end up in all these iconic exotic places, but you don’t get to see them.”

  “I suppose that would be frustrating.”

  “If you can take a few days before and after the trip, it’s nice. Lots of the other models worked that out. But Alastair and I were always in a rush.”

  They came around the corner to see Kenneth and AJ were waiting in the distance.

  “Do you miss him a lot?” Breena asked.

  “I do. I mostly miss his company though.” Mia didn’t feel like she deserved the same kind of sympathy as a regular widow.

  Breena turned slightly in her seat. “I don’t understand what that means.”

  “It means our relationship had evolved over the years. When his health went downhill, companionship became more important than intimacy.”

  “This might be too personal.” Breena paused.

  “Go for it.”

  “Was he happy with that?”

  “I think he w
as.” There were times Mia thought he preferred their platonic friendship, times when she thought that was what he’d wanted all along.

  She slowed the vehicle to a stop.

  “How’d that feel?” Kenneth asked, coming up on the driver’s side.

  “She’s a natural,” Breena said with a bright grin.

  “Great,” Kenneth said. “ATV next, then we try the mini loader.”

  It took Mia a while to catch on to the ATV. It was clunky and bouncy with its big tires, and the handlebars were awkwardly far apart for her. But at least it was shorter than the utility vehicle, and that made it easier to maneuver around corners.

  The mini loader was an entirely different story. Although she spent most of the morning trying, she just couldn’t catch on. It was run by two joysticks instead of a steering wheel, and she kept mixing them up. The engine speed was variable, plus there was boom up, bucket down, scoop, dump, and curl.

  She kept turning left when she meant to raise the boom or raise the boom when she meant to curl the bucket. Or curl the bucket when she meant to back up.

  Kenneth jumped out of the way as she showered them both with sand . . . again.

  Mia waved her hand in front of her face to dissipate the dust. She coughed, and squeezed her eyes shut as they watered.

  “What are you doing?” Raven asked, appearing beside them, surprise in her tone.

  Mia blinked her cousin into focus.

  “The loader’s not going so well,” Kenneth admitted.

  “Why is Mia running the loader?”

  Kenneth paused for a second. “You asked me to give her the vehicle orientation.” He paused. “Right?”

  “To the ATV and the utility,” Raven said. She gestured to the Mia and the mini loader. “Not this.”

  “Oh,” Kenneth said with obvious regret.

  Mia let go of the joysticks and shut the machine off. She at least knew how to do that much.

  Raven took in her appearance and clearly stifled a grin.

  Mia touched her cheek and felt a layer of grime. She might have been struggling, but she would have kept trying. She wouldn’t even mind taking another run at it someday.